Just hoping that there is an end to all autocracy and that the CCP is no exception.
HK sounds like George Orwell's 1984.
79
Hong Kong will flourish; residents of Hong Kong are overwhelmingly cheered that peace on the island is assured and they can steadily better their lives.
Hong Kong will flourish.
27
The problem in Hong Kong is truly multifaceted. There are people with sincere democratic values. But what you observe in the manifestations is that many people want squarely the independence with a 'democratic' façade. In many there is a clear hatred of anything Chinese (mainland), some even issuing British flags. I personally witnessed the rejection, in a very good restaurant, by servers in front of clients speaking mandarin; who are numerous coming from mainland to visit that special city.
34
Unlikely China will stop with Hong Kong. Eventually it might come for the West. And ironically it is the West that contributed to building China by setting up factories there because it was cheaper and higher profits could be made, and passing on IP, ….
Interesting world should China, Russia, Iran, …. combine forces and tactics, although each seems to be doing well on its own.
49
I am terrified with this article reporting on realities H.K. is now confronting because I think that they mirror Japan's future in a decade. Experts on Chaina are urging that Beijing will complete its plan to make Taiwan more like a mainland city in six years, and then Japan. Actually, I feel authoritarian hands trying to seize a small island-Senkaku Island which Taiwan is claiming for its sovereign-from Japan. I get sad when I envision myself considering whether I can share my opinions like I am now doing without fear for intervention.
56
It's left to those of us who remember to tell the next generations the truth.
72
The CCP is evil. I have no doubt that the British exploited HK simply to make money. But in doing so they created a vibrant, unique and successful colony, if only as a byproduct. Work hard and we’ll both prosper, otherwise do whatever you want.
China now intends to exploit HK by bribing its citizens with the lure of continued economic success. Work hard and we’ll both prosper - just give up any right to dissent, support for democracy, freedom of the press, and forget about speaking in that barbaric Cantonese dialect anymore. China will tell you both what to say and how you say it.
I wonder which is the worse system for an individual raised in a democracy?
68
Rapacious capitalism enabled this communist regime to thrive, steal IP, enrich party members and stifle dissent of entire localities and provinces. Next will come entire countries. The CCP should have died a quiet death in 1989, along with all the others. It didn't because the West, and Deng Xiaoping, had other ideas on maintaining an iron fist that both clutched a fistful of dollars while smashing any anti-authoritarian actions and thought. It's now Hong Kong's turn to get in line. Others will follow.
39
"Neighbors are urged to report on one another. Children are taught to look for traitors. Officials are pressed to pledge their loyalty."
Oppression and Control by a dictatorial government never works out well - It can't last, and people will rebel. I feel bad for the people of Hong Kong. If the GOP gets control of our government we will be in a similar situation though, god forbid.
49
The only hope for Hong Kong now is a soviet style collapse of China. Unfortunately the prospect of an independent city state like singapore will take a few decades to become reality. Until then, Hong Kong will have to experience suppression, tyranny and rule bye brutal CCP
25
@Chris Vermeer I have very fond memories of HK, but honestly I don't think, even with a collapse of the Mainland government, that it would be able to follow the path of Singapore.
The time for considering that option was before the '97 handover (and even then it would have been a tremendously difficult feat; not nearly the same set of circumstances in HK as in the founding of Singapore).
19
Hong Kong has always been a colony, before 1997 to British, and afterwards to China. British had brutally punished the locals if they fought again British rules while the Brits have been taken money away from Hong Kong.
At least, China has invested in Hong Kong and supported its prosperity.
At to freedom, it was never intended. The freedom that Hong Kong people have been talking about, it is just the freedom to vent, chat and complain but with no effect on their welfare. Regardless how they complain, they can not get better healthcare, infrastructure, affordable housing, retirement benefits, working conditions, from their government.
Hong Kong's political structure, police power, government's policies, are the same under both UK and China.
25
China lies, the world shrugs.
50
@Ampleforth
Trump lies; the GOP (and FOX "news") repeats the lies
50
The Queen, Elizabeth Windsor, should go to Bejing to meet wth Premier Xi for afternoon tea in the forbidden city, and demand the return of Hong Kong.
9
@Nostradamus Demand? I don't think the Queen is in the mood to humilate herself in front of the world.
31
If I recall correctly, I believe when Britain and China signed the agreement in 1999 to turn over Hong Kong to China, there was a statement in the agreement that China would not make any changes to Hong Kong for 50 years. I seem to recall that would be (obviously) in 2049. If I am correct, then why are all the nations in the world not stepping up to protect Hong Kong from China's premature changing of Hong Kong 20 years before the agreement stated? The current world power of China was handed to them on a silver platter when US capitalism allowed, especially high tech companies, to not only manufacture, but also give the technical design data to China. The greed of corporate leaders and short term profits with basically "slave labor" has enhanced China's power and economic status in the world. We, the US prior to the end of the Cold War would not allow US companies to give any high tech information to China. Once the Soviet Union collapsed and the Berlin Wall fell, all of a sudden the pure capitalists in the USA gave to China, a Communist country, almost all our high technology designs and manufacturing techniques just for the sole purpose of greed and maximum profits to the leaders of the US companies and basically the very wealthy US stock holders. Now China has surpassed the US in financial and physical aid to countries in South America and Africa as well as parts of Asia.
45
@Fred M
“ why are all the nations in the world not stepping up to protect Hong Kong”
Because it would not be profitable. The global business sector has no interest in human values like freedom.
32
@Fred M
Gosh if only there was a group of nations, a league, a club, or a gathering that would say that this is wrong. Not to mention the fact that there were only two parties to the treaty regarding Hong Kong the UK and China. Other than that I don't really see how it's our business. Given that liberals keep saying that the US is not supposed to be the world's police.
3
@Fred M You have your dates just slightly confused: HK was in '97; Macao was in '99.
5
Many older generation in Hong Kong are escapee from China when communist leader Mao Zedong won power in China.
Aware of China eventually will take over Hong Kong, they have been sending their children to study overseas and not return.
Ask your Chinese friends from Hong Kong why their parents sent them overseas.
50
@Susan Even the super rich people in China today are doing the same thing, sending their kids oversea and not return, driving up home prices from LA to Vancouver as they buy up mansions, all cash deals, to settle their families.
39
I have been to Hong Kong. It is one of the most unique places I've ever visited. I feel deeply for the people of Hong Kong. That we, in the US, and our allies, especially the UK, are not standing up to China is not only appalling it is terrifying. When Hong Kong falls, Taiwan will be next. Then, perhaps Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, on and on until even, eventually South Korea and Japan. Those who can get out, need to get out now. Since the West isn't going to save them.
20
@SouthernHusker
Why should the West save them? Hong Kong belongs to China if the people there don't like it I guess they can either try and change the government or leave.
13
Japan is not falling to China. They’ll develop enough nuclear weapons to deter them if necessary. Their warrior ethos may be
subdued but if summoned they can defend their country by targeting any intruder with nuclear weapons if they attempt to breach their shores. And I doubt China would risk a direct confrontation with the US in South Korea or Japan. I do believe they are eyeing Taiwan but it may lead to a painful economic hit and possibly a world war. Even if America succumbs to its neo Nazis and self immolates, Japan has the technological wear withal to defend itself.
17
@James People who live in Hong Kong don't believe "Hong Kong belongs to China." They believe they are unique and independent, and in the memories and histories of most citizens this is their perspective.
19
Don't Hong Kongers have the right to resettle in the UK if they have the British overseas passport? I would take that route, rather than live in a canned, insular environment. There is going to be counterrevolution in China at some point against the ruling party also, maybe starting tomorrow, maybe 50 years hence, and if one stays in Hong Kong they are condemning their children or grandchildren to suffer through turmoil that could kill millions.
9
@David Godinez I agree with the sentiment but some perspective is required. Picking up and leaving your family, friends, job, and everything you've ever known is not a choice people make lightly. It's also a financially complex decision, out of reach for those at the bottom of the ladder.
14
@David Godinez That option only applies to certain people in Hong Kong.
7
@David Godinez
Generally no. The Hong Kongers hold the British Nationals (Overseas) (BNO) passport. They does not confer the right to live in the UK.
4
I guess its politically incorrect to say, but now British imperialism isn't looking so bad, compared to that of mainland China. If Harry had a heart he would have moved there and stood with the lovers of democracy.
18
Sorry, you guys should get over it. Hong Kong belongs to China and they can do with it what they please. This should also be a lesson to anyone in Taiwan that thinks they would be treated with respect by the Chinese.
18
@James A bit cold but you're not wrong. Also, I don't think anyone in Taiwan is under the impression that China would be super duper nice to them if they just reunified.
12
In 1997 the cynical among us, a group of which I have always been a member of, thought the transfer of Hong Kong from Great Britain to China would bring about this day most certainly. The promises made by the Chinese were as flimsy and thin as the paper they written on. I am unhappy to have been proven right.
38
The irony is that rather than show their strength or their ability to thumb their noses at the world without consequence, China’s leaders have shown their weakness, their paranoia and ultimately undermined their ability to win the world’s trust.
That trust was already shot thanks to their lack of transparency early on in the Covid-19 pandemic. But now, what they’re telling the world is that they can’t be trusted even to honor an international agreement, in this case their agreement to keep their hands off Hong Kong’s internal affairs for 50 years after the 1997 handover.
This kind of mindset - treating a contract as nothing but a piece of paper - is embedded on the CCP. From now on, anyone making any kind of agreement with the Chinese government should ask them, “How do we know you won’t just change your mind when you decide it’s in your interest or you become paranoid about losing power or leverage, as happened on Hong Kong?”
The CCP will soon find that the perfectly warranted distrust they have created will haunt them for a long time.
23
Had the Brits ponied up more silver and bought the New Territory outright instead of leasing it for 99 years, things would have turned out very differently, and better, for everyone involved. There is a real estate lesson right there: don't be penny counting and settle for leasing if you had the opportunity to actually buy something and own it.
Regarding how CCP is behaving in Hong Kong, anyone who has paid some attention to their horrible track records would not be surprised a bit. This is an evil regime that completely lacks the will or knowledge to do good for the people. The onus is on the West: whether to carry on business as usual for the quick profits or do the right thing and pull out.
21
The only sensible thing the world can do, and the only thing China will heed and understand, is the complete and total economic withdrawal of western companies from the region. Hit them in the pocket, and watch the revolution happen. Then we can all happily, forgot the Communist party ever existed. Oh and Taiwan is a country.
45
Taiwan is a country. That country happens to be China.
Even action movie star John Cena knows this now.
6
@Peter I don't how to break this to you, Peter, this fantasy of yours - "the complete and total economic withdrawal of western companies from the region" is just a fantasy.
Truth be told, western companies needs China more than China needs them at this point. Tesla almost went bankrupt before they got permission to open their Shanghai plant, now its business is booming. Boeing is lobbying hard to both US and Chinese government for a re-entry to the Chinese market after the B737 Max scandal, without access to the Chinese market, it will go bankrupt.
Further more, twice as many countries now counts China as their top trading partners than those trades with the US. If US and its allies try to isolate China economically, it will end up isoloate itself. This is not just my opinion, by the way, this is the main point of an Economists editorial from last month. So you are not really in a position to "withdraw western companies from the region".
12
Hong Kong is part of China. China is not a democracy. China has no democratic traditions. China has no concept of free speech or dissent or individual freedom.
And yet for some reason the US decided that it makes sense to do business with China, to sell US assets to China, to allow Chinese students to flow into our universities and high schools, to allow China to manufacture almost everything, to allow China veto over US based media and entertainment, to keep quiet about internment camps and corporate theft and genocide.
Shrugs.
It is what it is. But let's not pretend that Hong Kong was a bastion of democracy when it was a colonial possession of the British.
11
@Lilo
So a country that has not had democracy is never allowed to have it ?
You serve your party well but not very intelligently
15
I hope America is paying attention.
8
That is so entirely sick and wrong! Communist China promised Hong Kong autonomy. And now (big shocker), Communist China lied. How are people supposed to live like obedient little robots? Whatever happened to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of Religion? These concepts do not exist under the boot heel of Communist China.
Tell it to Tiannamen Square. Tell it to Taiwan. Tell it to Japan. And, tell it to Tibet. Communist China takes what it wants at gunpoint. You disagree? Then, you disappear, into prison conditions more harsh than I hope you can imagine.
It is heartbreaking to see people so smothered by authoritarian cruelty. But I doubt that there will be any civilian "revolution" in Communist China. Those poor people have clearly seen what "Transformation Camp" Prisons can do to a person.
I'm not saying that Chinese people are bad. Not at all. I'm saying their government is corrupt and cruel beyond belief.
It is beyond sad that Communist China could not contain the Covid Virus, the way they contain any and all of their people's rights.
13
This outcome was a foregone conclusion after the British turned the city over to the mainland, despite assurances to the contrary. Nonetheless, very sad to see the history of this unique and fiercely independently city-state come to an end. A bucket list destination no longer.
25
@Calvin My grade school classmate was one of the producers for the award winning movie "Ten Years", now completely banned. At the time some pundits said the movie was exaggerating the CCP threats. Looking back, the movie is so quaint compared to what is happening now in real life.
14
This sounds a lot like life in Cuba. It's so sad. So unnecessary. And I don't think we realize the lasting, scarring, traumatizing effects it has, even for those fortunate enough to escape.
9
here's one way to fight this: disinvest both business and personally from Hong Kong.
Sell off real estate til the market drives the price to zero.
no more visits.
why visit HK when China is the same thing only cheaper
if your convictions are as strong as many say, you turn your economic back on them and walk away. As much as one can.
11
Hong Kong lost its luster years ago, when it ceased being China’s financial capital. Hong Kongers resent the mainland for that reason much more than for the loss of mythological democratic values, which, when under British rule, they barely shared in. The Brits always treated the locals as second class citizens. If it’s Beijing’s aim now to makeover Hong Kong to give it, say, the vibrancy of Shanghai, Hong Kong should be so lucky.
9
@Thomas That's just CCP propaganda. Hong Kong is still the key for Chinese companies to raise foreign capital, that's why Beijing didn't send in the tanks. Chinese companies still strive to be listed in Hong Kong, not Shanghai. And in many areas of business Hong Kong still the place with the most subject matter experts, far more than any Chinese cities.
The last three governors actually treated Hong Kong locals extremely well, and started a lot of reform to provide them a say in how they were being governed. All that are being taken away under CCP rule. And when it comes to freedom of speech and free press, Hong Kong always had that, now lost as well. (Under British rule even CCP was able to setup mouthpiece newspapers in Hong Kong.)
By all objective measure the Brits treated local Hong Kong people far better than how the CCP is treating them today. If they were 2nd class under British rule then they must be 3rd class under CCP regime.
41
Too bad. Can't go to HK anymore. One of my favorite cities.
19
China remaking Hong Kong? Any expat living in China will tell you that Neighbors don't report on neighbors just because they don't agree with the government. Neither do Children look for traitors. Anyone can have his/her opinion as long as they don't try to magnify it through the Internet, Newspapers, demostrations, etc...Not very democratic? Sure but that doesn't mean China is like North Korea. I forwarded this article to some of my friends living there, some of them laughed about it and others expressed their surprise at some of the things expressed here. We may not like the political system in China but it is what it is. Honk Kong people had it coming for a long time, since 1997 to be precise, so now to complain about what China does is ridiculous, to say the least.
11
@Phil E. Expats in Hong Kong are the ones treating the locals the worst. And their views only reflect their self interests, totally detached from the local reality.
2
Exactly. We people of Hong Kong are overjoyed to have joined the shining path of Mainland China. We will teach our children to live the happy and productive lives of the proletariat making consumer goods in factories.
7
@Phil E. You write that neighbors don't reports on neighbors in China. That's not true, I've seen it happen to people I know. Children do look for "traitors", or at least some do, and there are certainly enough propaganda commercials put out by the CCP to at least promote it. And you also write that anyone can have their own opinion - but only if their not so stupid as to actually try to say it in public. And finally, you write "Hong Kong people had it coming for a long time, since 1997 to be precise". What is that supposed mean, lao tong zhi (comrade)?
12
This has all been so sadly predictable once the British withdrew from Hong Kong, which can now be seen to be a foolish decision. It was inevitable, it just happened sooner than expected. The people in Hong Kong seem to have been living in a bubble, not believing this would happen. The protests that brought it on were beyond foolish, and were perhaps instigated by China itself to give them an excuse to fully occupy Hong Kong. What borders? It's all China now. All they can do is hope to emigrate.
2
Chip away, chip away. Chinese gov, LGBTQ, “medical” marijuana advocates all have something in common. Give it a decade or two, laws will be rewritten, elementary school textbooks changed, history revised. The Chinese are on fast track - those who oppose mysteriously disappear. So sad. How did that city ever survive under the yoke of oppressive British colonialism?
4
So.....are we in the West finally aware of the type of adversary we face in the CCP?
14
I can't help but wish that at the end of WW II, the UK had leveraged their role in defeating the Japanese and renegotiated the Hong Kong deal for at least another 50 years. Sigh.
My husband's family lived in Hong Kong for several years. The vibrant, independent culture they loved is disappearing fast -- and the replacement isn't for the better.
11
I was visiting Hong Kong some 30 years ago
and a friend, who taught at a Private School,
asked me to speak to his students.
I said it will just be a matter of time before
China demands and forces full integration
of Hong Kong into China.
Many of the students scoffed, but a few could
see the writing on the wall, even then.
12
One country, one system. Two sets of experiences and expectations, one tragedy.
6
…and aided and abetted by American politicians and corporations who lusted after cheap labor (sometimes forced) and large new markets. Companies let China pirate their tech just to gain non Union production and access to Asia’s middle class. Taiwan, SE Asia, and pacific island countries are threatened by China’s expanding military, which is bankrolled from our insatiable appetite for cheap consumer goods.
No wonder so few parts of the world respect us. We exploit, invade, and extract sometimes, and sell our souls for pennies at other times.
22
The whole premise that China would treat Hong Kong differently was a myth. It would was unwise to believe it when the deal was struck with Britain. China has no reason to honor it. There is nothing in Hong Kong that is worth preserving for China economically. The banking system has moved to Shanghai. There is no innovation happening in HK. Majority of Chinese in mainland resent any special status given to HK. So this is over.
16
Thanks for your informative article. What a tragedy for Hong Kong and all its residents that the authoritarian leaders of China fear freedom and democracy so much that they have resorted to the actions you describe in such terrifying detail. Bravo to your correspondents for their courage.
14
One critically important fact that was left out in the article is that the “one country, two systems” arrangement was set for 50 years, meaning it will last until June 30, 2047.
No one would expect the complete cut-over would happen overnight on that date, but the pace and timeline were left out in the arrangement.
So the endgame is Hong Kong is expected to be fully integrated into China by July 2047. I am not sure if this important detail is intentionally left out in the article.
@CS "...the “one country, two systems” arrangement was set for 50 years, meaning it will last until June 30, 2047."
We knew back in '97 it wouldn't last. We knew takeover would be gradual, and it was...it took 24 years.
Really bad news is that Taiwan is next. Beijing won't go to war with us over it until they really believe they can beat us. And they have been preparing for it, just like the takeover of HK. I hope the US will be ready.
6
What are you trying to say? That the agreement can be breached now because in 25 years it will be ended? Makes no sense in law or ethics at all.
6
@Monterey Thank geography for almost 100 miles of open sea between Taiwan and mainland... (Even the world-leading US marine at current strength doesn't have the lift capability for a large scale invasion across that much water.)
2
This just breaks my heart. I'm from San Francisco and during many voyages to East Asia, Hong Kong was the perfect bookend to my hometown. HK is not some teaming, crowded, nameless, faceless metropolis. It is a living breathing setting for a rich tapestry of human experience, activity, creativity. What the PRC is doing there is barbaric and sibful.
38
@Charles Becker Having traveled to both Singapore and Hong Kong, I agree with you HK was far more exciting than Singapore when I visited some 20 years ago.
16
@SridharC,
I agree. Singapore is cleaner and "safer", but Hong Kong is vibrant, bustling, alive!
8
I think the only thing to do is for every neighbor to report each other as being a disloyal neighbor. It would take the Communist Party Years to figure out who is who.
6
Neighbors encouraged to report eachother? Children forced to pledge allegiance? “See something, say something”
Sounds like the USA to me.
As neoliberalism produces the citizen on the model of entrepreneur and consumer, it simultaneously makes citizens available to extensive governance and administrative authority.
Mama always told me that those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
10
@D Indeed, it sounds like a policy Proud Boys and other "patriots" would promote. But seriously folks, narc-ing out your neighbors is a pastime here in the good ol' US of A. However I really should point out, although our indoctrination is more subtle it's edge is still greatly blunted compared to the new HK regime. Our federal government has not made shutting down media outlets whose POV it disagrees with the target of a national policy of overt suppression.
6
@Monterey Have you seen media here calling other nations for sanctions on their own government?
@Monterey
The US just today shut down the Press TV website and two other sites. The US does overtly close media outlets.
The US government regularly prosecutes and jails journalists. Sometimes the US just outright murders them but only when they’re reporting on a US invasion of another country.
The Empire must be protected at all costs.
1
Nothing’s changed about the view. Lights and energy to burn.
Sadly, it's the inside spirit that's gone. Shedding a tear.
RIP Hong Kong.
11
The Beijing authoro-militarists will do anything to increase and retain their grip on power. They murdered 3000 or so of their best and brightest children, the future of their country, at the Tiananmen Square massacre. No one was punished. It was swept under the rug.
They do not value even the lives of their own citizens. They will stop at nothing.
There is no answer as I can see.
14
In the mid-1980s, as I was about to emigrate to the US from Hong Kong, the greatest fear after the Joint Declaration was signed by the UK and China was that Hong Kong would become another city in China, to be under communist rule with no freedoms. That fear was addressed as the leaders on both sides promised 50 years of no change. Now, that fear has become reality (about 25 years earlier than scheduled) and in many ways, the reality is worse than the worst scenario. I would have never thought that I would see the very fabric of Hong Kong -- from education to the arts, from the media to the legal system -- being dismantled systematically by the CCP. I fear that, during my next visit to the city, I won't recognize it -- not because of the changing skyscrapers and storefronts, but how the people are no longer allowed to enjoy the freedoms that they had during their lifetime.
Shame on the CCP for destroying this fine city.
68
@CL
My sentiment exactly.
6
Hong Kong as it was known is gone. The Communist Party will crush any signs of autonomy, freedom of speech or expression, free elections, etc. The Dictator Xi will also not stop until he crushes Taiwan - extremely sad.
25
@dairyfarmersdaughter "Dictator Xi will also not stop until he crushes Taiwan" is an optimistic take in my view. As someone who was born in mainland China and had an insider's perspective on this for years, I would say his ambition (and the CCP's) is far, far wider.
This is the party that just a few years ago proclaimed that anyone of Chinese ethnicity (regardless of where they are in the world or their nationality) owes their loyalty to China.
This of course sounds like utter rubbish to the rest of us, but do not underestimate the vengeful pride of a country that has gone from extreme hardship (of their own making, aka the Cultural Revolution) to extreme economic wealth in very little time. They feel they have been snubbed for decades and are very self-conscious of the fact that the world doesn't accord them with the respect they feel they deserve. Economic and geopolitical domination is their method forcing of forcing people to respect China, and Taiwan is just another victim in their master plan.
21
as an ordinary person living in HK, i can swear that majority of this article is an exaggeration. indeed political fervency have been subdued, but majority of the law-abiding citizens have rejoiced this refreshing development: gone are the demonstrations-turned-street violence every weekend, no more zealous debate on who's pro government or democracy among colleagues and friends, and best of all, a sense of normalcy has returned. I don't know how the correspondents conducted the interview for this article, civic education (I agree the current curriculum needs much more neutrality) not a form of brainwashing, even the States mandates such courses in grade schools. what's the big deal of government employees need to swear in? All federal Federal employees, Representatives, Senators, judges, political appointees, the President and Vice President of the United States take an oath of office. I don't understand the fuss on the exchange program between mainland and HK civil servants: such exchange was a common practice during British rule. indeed the chinese influence has been more palpable since the handover but it's inevitable: the Chinese is just doing what the UK government did to HK 100 years ago--merely exercising her sovereignty.
20
@gphone I agree that China can exercise her sovereignty as she best sees fit. However, given the baldface lies put forth by the Chinese government on the structure of the handover, and the affront to democracy, now is the time for all democratic countries and companies alike to withdraw from Hong Kong as well as curtail engagement with the China supply chain. The world can indeed live without and prosper without the dictatorial mandates being pushed down from the CCP.
52
@gphone : the "big deal" of government employees swearing in? In the United States we swear to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution - the document that enshrines and guarantees our freedom, liberty, and sacred rights as individuals. That's a BIG difference from swearing an oath of loyalty that cedes all individual and collective power to the Communist Party and an authoritarian government.
61
@SteveZodiac well said, so you do agree government employees do need to swear in. glad to meet like-minded people in this forum.
1
It used to strike me how many residents of Hong Kong had anglicized given names, both as a vestige of British rule, but also as a sign of their cosmopolitanism. The British imparted liberal institutions which Emperor Xi and his limitless stooges now seeks to eradicate entirely. I wonder if you will see it soon in the names people give their children?
8
“Britain imparted liberal institutions” Opium is a liberal institution?
9
Free speech, free press, parliamentary democracy, trial by jury, free market system, all imparted by the British, and all ingredients of the most successful societies in the world, which not coincidentally tend to be former British colonies, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Kenya, South Africa (less so with each passing year), among others, and until now Hong Kong.
8
How tragic. The paltry number of comments is testament to our indifference. Corporations gave PRC the "green light" and most countries sat by and did nothing
14
Nobody wants to see what had happened in HK and the consequencse followed. Even the policy makers in Beijing. The Opposition party power-played their hands during Trump's administration and crossed the "red line" Beijing drawn long time ago with British : no HK independent movement will be tolerated. Now the game is over.
3
A linchpin - perhaps THE linchpin - of China's overall plan is endless, unmitigated control of its people. It does not seem sustainable.
4
@ChuckyBrown I'm sad to say this, but endless control is no less sustainable than democracy. Has North Korea changed in the last 60-70 years? China reversed their progress in 1989. Myanmar reversed their progress this year.
6
Anyone who thinks Beijing cannot, or will not, export this model everywhere is naive. With money and economic power comes the power to bully you in your home country, no matter how free you think it is. It is happening here. Hollywood regularly censors its story lines to please China. That means you are watching movies that Beijing approves of. Ceelebrities like Lebron James censor themselves and walk on eggshells to please Beijing. Democratic countries in Asia and beyond hedge their bets, worried that China will punish them for the freedoms their own citizens enjoy. They look to a unified, powerful, democratic and free world for solidarity against Beijing's ever increasing aggression.
39
@David This is true. Even in fine art, all the galleries want a branch over there...
5
"Residents now swarm police hotlines with reports about disloyal neighbors or colleagues."
It doesn't take long for most people to adjust themselves to a new authority's new expectations. In fact, the majority will turn on a dime. (See Milgram, 1963.)
Let that be a lesson to the rest of us.
17
We lived in Hong Kong during the Handover, and I had my son at a public hospital there. While Hong Kong wasn’t all roses, it’s sad to see the end of a great city.
11
What is happening in Hong Kong is so sad. Of course it's now a part of China and the Chinese government can do whatever it wants. But as a person of mixed race (although not if either Chinese or British background) - I am saddened by the changes to a place that felt truly like home to me. Before last year, HKG was both Asian and Western in culture and outlook - I loved the energy and her people- people mixed and ideas got exchanged. I have many happy memories of my frequent visits in the past, but I'm not inclined to ever visit Hong Kong or Macau again.
23
Having traveled to Hong Kong and Shenzhen, I could always feel a palpable difference between the Mainland and Hong Kong. The relaxed atmosphere in HK contrasted sharply with the “eyes are watching” atmosphere in Shenzhen. I’m so sorry to see the Hong Kong I knew disappearing.
We are living in extreme times. We cannot deny that. People think they can prevent the end of humanity by latching on to authoritarian parties who tell them that it’s not really happening, and that it’s okay to pretend and to keep holding onto the past in exchange for power. So many people want to be children and bury their heads in their pillows while someone else tells them what to do and how to think. Unfortunately there will be no comfort or peace to be found in this type of obliviousness.
61
This to me is totally not surprising but yet I feel like it's to intense.
2
Next up: Taiwan.
I am sad for Hong Kongers who have lost their "so-called freedoms" and horrified by what "so-called people" are willing to do to each other. First, look at all those police willing to follow and enforce the dictates of the Party; they will shoot their own people for a paycheck. Second, look at all those tens of thousands who stay in the good graces of the authorities by reporting their next-door neighbors for not being sufficiently patriotic. And third, under the Party's instruction, watch children report their parents.
It is all straight out of Orwell's "1984."
The new messages to Hong Kong from Beijing are:
• Freedom ("so-called") is Slavery
• Ignorance is Strength
And soon to come:
• War is Peace
Defenders of the Chinese Communist Party, unite! Tell us that China is not a threat, that people in China enjoy true freedom, that the West has a colonial attitude towards China.
Next up: Taiwan.
38
So it's the Cultural Revolution all over again.
You'd think that China would have learned by now how these things end.
8
Wallstreet crooks created the monster “China” for the sake of quadruple profits. Now the ginny is out of the bottle.They want to rule the world by any mean. As an imperialistic power, they are gaining their muscle everywhere with their money power. Alas, the western powers are closing their eyes despite the fact that they would be wiped out by the monster soon unless strong steps are taken against the corrupt power hungry regime. All western powers must be united to tackle the monster to preserve humanity and an world order.
18
@RM That's right. By giving them our factories and technology we have given them this economic power. OUR corporations have lifted THEIR people to a better living standard and their government to a position of power.
11
In the end, thermodynamics will win: you can not enforce a lasting system of increased order. It will blow, the later, the louder the bang.
3
What was said in the article is a form of corruption and very corrupting behaviour. It is a turning back of the clock and very poor. HKers deal with it in the best way they can wherever they are with the help of God and man. All these will blow over. And there will be reconciliation, healing and hope to humanity, just as in Europe, in Africa, in Asia and other parts of the world. Because there is no other way. Least we forget. In the sadness of HK people, let us not lose hope in God and man who are made in His image and likeness.
1
It's not entirely bad or dire. Soon all traces of British imperialism will be gone. Hong Kong is Chinese!!! Why aren't Western nations sticking to the knitting of their own unraveling, troubled societies? None of this would be happening if Rule Britannia hadn't forced a 99 year lease down China's throat before handover. Stop sticking voodoo pins in Chinese dolls. There exists only a few aggressor nations that show arms and navies far from their own shores. China is not numbered among them.
11
@Rick Why don't you let the people of HK vote to see if they believe they are, or want to be, part of the PRC, under the thumb of the CCP?
46
@Rick
Uh, no.
South China Sea-Breaking Law of Sea and traditional notions of ocean boundaries. War with Vietnam. Belt and Road- deception for Sri Lanka. Invasion and cultural/ethnic genocide of the Tibetan and Uigyer people.
China has its own history of imperialism, nationalism, and brutality. It simply has not had the economic and military abilities in the modern age to power those desires... until now. Hong Kong is the canary in coal mine.
13
@Nerka
Surprise, surprise, USA participated in drafting the Law of Sea, but our congress never ratified the final verison (or officially speaking, UNCLOS, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.)
Comments here appear to support Colonialism? What do we expect? If the USA uses economic colonialism throughout the world. Some of the Americans here are so fixated in the collapse of China. They will excuse the inexcusable. So many Americans despise China, although they loved IPhones made in China, and thousands of products that have no idea are made in China. Fixated in communism, fixated in the destruction and failure of China. Whatever China does it’s bad… whatever the USA do it’s always perfect. Killing Iraquis, Syrians, Iranians, Yemení, Afghanis, ransacking their countries it’s always welcome by Americans that believe the USA doesn’t do wrong…
14
@BrokenEnglish
Re: "Comments here appear to support Colonialism"
Americans do not think under one umbrella, as our many protests demonstrate, as do the varied comments posted in response to the article. Dumbfounding that one can believe that comments extolling freedom of expression somehow supports Colonialism.
22
@BrokenEnglish
China is most excellent at economic colonialism too. Much better than the Americans - even in the past!
There is evil on both sides. How can we become friends and not end up in War? I do not have much hope.
8
@BrokenEnglish: The US has many, many faults. But I'd rather live here where I'm free to speak my mind on any subject than in a country where the government has the power to silence its citizens and make them live in constant fear. We don't have that - not yet, anyway.
As for iPhones: LoL. You may build them, but we INVENTED them. That creativity is what freedom allows - something China will never have so long as it lives under the heel of authoritarianism.
19
Hong Kong is hardly the dystopia that the article describes. Using hyperbole to make a point simply makes it less credible altogether.
14
@Donna Meyer
I have never directly experienced HK, but having been exposed to Chinese authoritarianism firsthand when Beijing sent its first flight of students to a university overseas (L.S.E.) in the early 70s when I was an undergraduate, I cannot detect any hyperbole in the article. The constant monitoring of each other occurred even in the lavoratories. The students walking in lockstep down corridors, apparently proscribed from even making eye contact with regular students, was an eye opening event that viscerally impacted me, making real in its manifestation what authoritarianism and groupthink was all about.
46
@Donna Meyer How would you know that?
10
For any news from HK, I always ask a question, is that new rule appropriate in US if we replace "China" with "US"? If so, I have no problem of that, if not I condemn it. Surprisingly most of them the answer is yes.
1
@Frank Y
So ending the people choosing their leaders in any way?
3
Hong Kong government employees are required to pledge allegiance to the motherland. It is no surprise. My grandkids pledge their allegiance to the flag of the United States of America every day in school. What is the difference? At least the adults can say one thing and their hearts say another. But kids are ingrained in their young mind at a very early stage. You can say they are brainwashed or not.
Hong Kong is still Hong Kong. And China remains China. Nothing really changes except those violent protesters and mobsters. And only progress will change Hong Kong and thus China.
21
@Usok The difference is that Hong Kong has an identity that's very distinct from that of China. Once China dissolves everything that made Hong Kong special, the city will cease to be itself. It will just be another "economic engine."
95
@Tyler Don't even try to play identity politics here. It has done irreparable harm to the US, and would have continued to do the same to the China were it not for the CPC. If you like identity politics in the US, you can keep.
4
@Tyler: And New York City has a very different culture from the towns in the hinterland. What is your point?
2
From the article: "With each passing day, the boundary between Hong Kong and the rest of China fades faster."
Yes, that's because Hong Kong has been part of China (again), since 1997.
If Hong Kongers want more rights, they will need to work with reformers throughout mainland China to achieve this.
I'm old enough to remember the US foreign policy slogan, "self-determination of peoples". If the Chinese people want reform, they'll work for it, as they did in 1911 and 1949. 7 million Hong Kongers are not going to move a nation of 1.4 billion.
The Chinese people must determine their own future. At the moment, most Chinese are quite happy with their government. They're experiencing increased prosperity and opportunity. They see an increasing threat from the US (the country that flattened Iraq for its fictional WMDs). They are appalled by American-style freedom in the form of the 2nd amendment.
The NYTimes is going to have to accept that Hong Kong is part of China, just as Hong Kongers are doing.
22
@justgimmesometruth Applied to this situation, self-determination would give the people of Hong Kong the right to determine who governs them. It's not a concept that supports the imposition of a government from the outside, whether that's the UK, China, etc.
28
@Howard No. It would give the 1.4 billion Chinese to decide the government they choose. Given that the CPC has 99% percent approval rating per the US academic study, their approval far, far exceeds the historically low approval rating of the US Congress. You just wait till 2022 midterm and see how much lower it can still go.
3
@Howard: Yes, I was thinking in terms of self-determination for the people of China, which includes Hong Kong. The Chinese people should be free to chart their own future, without interference from, for example, the US. If that means treating Hong Kong like any other province in China, then that's their choice.
China is not a "government from the outside" with respect to HK. It IS the government.
But, I do see your point. You could apply self-determination to HKers. They could assert their right to be an independent people (and some think they've been doing that). This would imply that HKers work towards their own independence, without outside influence, which would certainly lead to the annihilation of HKers.
Does self-determination apply to Manhattan, to Greenwich Village, to W 4th street?
It should certainly apply to the Hawaiian Islands (where native Hawaiians get to decide).
I see faults in the whole concept that didn't occur to me when I learned about this in junior high school. So, forget that I mentioned it. :-)
5
Dynamic and unique sure, but under the neon glow, HK was always a hardscrabble and desperate place for many. A playground for western expats and Chinese tycoons, it was a place of extreme wealth disparity. Why do you think that so many Chinese immigrants in the US come from HK? I am not even talking about recent decades. Another thing to know is that HK under the Brits modernized well before the mainland so many HKers used to hold quite negative attitudes re mainlanders who were perceived as backwards and uncouth. Things have changed on the mainland and now the path out of the slums may no longer be the US or Canada. Interesting times.
26
@Pigsy You need to look further back at a spectrum of modernization. Japan with the Meiji Restoration got the jump on China, which remained a collection of fiefdoms until during and after WWII. As a result, Japan rolled over China in both the First and Second Sino Japanese Wars. One thing Mao did relatively successfully, if at high cost, was to give the appearance of uniting China. One cost of that was to create a huge rebound in favor of entrepreneurialism and the export of cash from China to the US.
As to the "many HK expats" comment, my experience as a Chinese speaking Anglo working for numbers of Chinese of Vietnamese/Chinese and Chinese/Chinese and Taiwan/Chinese background is that there is much more wealth here in the US which has been extracted by Chinese mainlander entrepreneurs, Vietnamese and Taiwanese than any from HK. We subscribed a startup bank partially using Chinese private citizen money, and it was massively oversubscribed.
5
@Pigsy With the exceptions of graduate students, many of whom are sponsored by China's government, and the desperately poor who resort to human smugglers, many if not most of HK immigrants to US and Canada are very wealthy, looking for an escape hatch, buying high end properties from San Marino to Vancouver.
14
@Pigsy actually the HKers are fleeing China to live in countries governed by rule of law, that is non existence in China.
11
To be fair, China took over in 1997. Under One Country, Two Systems - they mostly left Hong Kong to itself as both Hong Kong and the Mainland enjoyed the tailwind of a broad and powerful economic upcycle. A contrarian view might suggest that today's circumstance arose because the pro-democrats impractically pursued a line of no compromise, instead of working with the system - with some factions even morphing into localist independence advocates. China kindly gave Hong Kong a long rope, and unfortunately some parties seized the opportunity to hang themselves, while leaving the broader population to bear the consequences.
32
@tnu This is such a false representation of what has occurred in Hong Kong. The overwhelming majority of Hong Kong people (at an absolute minimum, over two-thirds, and more likely between 70 and 80 percent) have demanded genuine universal suffrage, as promised to them in the Basic Law, for many years. Instead of delivering on that promise, which is also a basic human right, the Communist Party has cracked down and, as this article shows, tried to impose its system on Hong Kong. The CCP was supposed to, at a minimum, keep its hands off and fulfill its promises for at least 50 years. It has patently failed to do so, a huge governance failure, and it has so alienated the majority of Hong Kong people from its rule that the only way it knows to imposer control is to crack down. To blame Hong Kong people for demanding their rights is really objectionable.
347
If they don’t start shedding their blood, they’re fine with China. It’s time now, casual little protests on social media won’t cut it.
1
This goose isn't going to lay any more golden eggs. It was precisely the fact that Hong Kong wasn't administered as an ordinary part of the mainland that made it an attractive place to do business, and Hong Kong has never had a reason to exist other than business. Now, it's going to be just one more large Chinese city, and one with fewer geographical advantages than a good many others. In the meantime, the spirit of Pavlik Morozov is alive and well.
6
Hong Kong is the new East Berlin. It won’t work. Ultimately CPC must reform and acquiesce in tolerance of opposition or eventually will find its model fall like Soviet Union.
5
Yes an apt analogy.
The 'average' person is more concerned about day-to-day living-existence-survival. Anywhere. Change is brought by the 'dissatisfied' but sustained by the engagement of a larger number. Not happening in HK.
2
Why is everyone sounding so surprised?
Of course this was coming.
18
Who could have imagined?!??
Or, who didn’t see this coming. . . ?
10
Did anyone really expect a different outcome when Britain walked away a quarter century ago?
When it comes to suppression of democracy, the USA has no moral high ground, as GOP-dominated states are now demonstrating in their efforts to restrict access to voting.
As for reporting on one’s neighbours, how are most of those who stormed the Capitol being identified?
Friends, family, and techno-vigilantes are actively reporting them.
The USA eagerly points fingers everywhere but at itself when it comes to authoritarianism. The political context is different from one country to another, but the tactics and strategies are much the same as they have been for centuries. Those who can make and enforce the laws control the outcomes. It is no wonder the USA imprisons more of its population than any other country in the world.
53
@Archibald When was the last time the United States arrested opposition candidates merely for running for office? When was the last time we arrested the staff of a newspaper merely for reporting critical views? While it's true that the Republican Party has taken an authoritarian turn, we still have a First Amendment. You can't get arrested here for criticizing President Biden or former President Trump. You can get arrested in China for criticizing President Xi. That's the difference.
107
@Joseph Holloman
The U.S. doesn’t have to arrest the opposition running for office; the opposition is purged from the ballots on the local level by your autocratic republican and democratic committees.
10
@Archibald
Imprisioned high numbers for drugs, etc, not protesting. The capitol riot was an attack on a federal building, not a peaceful protest.
5
Hong Kong is and now always will be part of China. That the British waged war to sell opium to the Chinese and ripped Hong Kong from China for a time is regrettable but that time is fortunately past.
I pledged an oath to America each school day for years, and stand for the Anthem repeatedly. I pledge repeatedly at school board meetings.
Teaching children to care for all China, and insuring the dedication and loyalty to China of responsible adults such as police officers or teachers is necessary.
I am so pleased that those few who would again violently rip Hong Kong from China will no longer be teaching.
20
@Nancy The difference is that the United States will not arrest you for criticizing President Biden. China will arrest you for criticizing President Xi. Do you think it's right that people were arrested for running for office as opposition candidates? Saying the Pledge of Allegiance is symbolic, but the United States still protects freedom of speech and freedom of association. China doesn't.
68
@Nancy Please, loyalty to China and loyalty to CCP are two different concepts.
11
@Nancy
The British government turned Hong Kong from a sleepy fishing village to a major financial center in the world. If left to the CCP, it would be a non descript town in China.
2
Doesn’t the United States of America asks every citizen to pledge alliance to to nation? indivisible under God? And to the flag? Why we expect that Chinese would be different? Why is that the government of United States of America, and the Western Media demand something different from China? Why is the USA so invested in attempting to destroy China from within? Why the USA continues to believe that we are invencible? And have the right to control and dominate the world? China it’s extremely patience, in the other hand USA it’s the country of instant gratification. Two different philosophies to approach life and politics.
11
BrokenEnglish: in America, we can say what we want, read what we want, and elect who we want. That is the country to which we pledge allegiance.
98
@BrokenEnglish Whataboutism is not a valid argument. The pledge of allegiance does not encourage citizens to spy and report on each other. China's encroachment of freedoms described in the article are very real. The United States has strong protections for freedom of speech and of assembly that the Chinese can only dream of.
67
@BrokenEnglish - there is a huge difference between saying the pledge of allegiance versus arresting people for protesting, displaying posters, trying to run for office and erasing history. Yes, the USA is dealing with similar issues proposed by republican controlled legislatures around the country, but in the end we will win over these repressive laws because we can. We can protest, vote out unwanted politicians(as long as republican states count all votes - let’s not forget FL stealing Gore’s win) and change the future because we the people can change it. It won’t be easy but in the end we are not like communist China. We need to keep a watch out for what happens in Taiwan or they will be next!
58
With each passing day, the boundary between Hong Kong and the rest of China fades faster....
[ Wonderful.
Hong Kong will be as lovely an island as Hainan, and the city will be as lovely a city as Sanya or even Beijing or Shanghai, and these Chinese cities are becoming steadily lovelier. ]
5
@Nancy Yes, with all those lovely cameras 'keeping you safe'. Also, get out and see China some day. The places you listed are just copies of the west.
21
@Nancy we're talking about freedom. Some people care more about than about nice scenery
31
@Nancy I think you're missing the point. We're talking about freedoms.
16
This makes me think of the law recently passed in Florida, demanding that college students and professors declare their political opinions. And teach that one ideology is “evil.” The push for authoritarian thought control (among other dangers) is not unique to China.
76
But China makes no pretense. Here in the US that is NOT supposed to happen (per a multitude of laws and a little thing called The Constitution). But you are right to point out the current, near and present danger that more Americans need to be aware and wary of.
18
@Sean C I don't believe this is correct. Although teaching on ideology is "evil" may be in fact true in Florida e.g communism is bad, the idea that college students and staff must declare political opinion is inevitably false. The text itself in the bill asked whether students "feel free to express their beliefs and viewpoints on campus and in the classroom." (Actual quote from bill). This is not demanding students to declare their individual opinions, but rather if they feel safe in higher education environments to express it. However, DeSantis' previous "indoctrination" of students in k-12 parallels that authoritarian thought control in China, such as the banning of critical race theory.
7
@Sean C
Here is an explanation in PolitiFact of the bill, and the claim (which PolitiFact says is false) that it demands that college staff must register their political views.
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/jun/25/viral-image/new-florida-law-requires-public-universities-surve/
1
You guys have to talk to real people on the grounds of China rather than brain washed Americans wannabes fron Taiwan and HK. They have not an iota of desire to want to have your style of government.
An election does not a democracy make, and endless protests are simply endless protests. How long have you protested about universal health care? How long have you protested about gun control? How long have you protested about education reform? How long have you protested about inequality.
All such issues are actively addressed in China. Its people's per capita income has increased 700 percent since 2000.
So, an election does not a democracy made, nor does endless protests mean democracy. Democracy requires a government that is responsive to the needs of its citizens, such a good education, decent jobs, security of person and possession. Ask yourself, do you have that? If you have none of those but only demand the right to election and protests, than count yourself as having exactly what you asked for.
17
@John interesting you say that because I know someone who grew up in Hong Kong and still lives there, and he is very upset with China's suppression of free speech and authoritarian control. This story is about Hong Kong and its people, not what people in mainland China think. To me, not being able to speak freely, being constantly monitored by the government, and living in fear of being reported by your neighbors sure doesn't seem like a ideal form of governance. America has its issues for sure, but gun control and universal healthcare have been solved by plenty of other democracies without crushing human rights. I mean, think about this comment section. You or I couldn't have this discussion in the open without being censored or imprisoned, is that a good government?
231
@John
No, elections are fundamental to democracy.
You can argue that the PRC's government is more effective than America's. You can even argue that the PRC's government is democratic, due intra-CCP elections. But to say "an election does not a democracy make", that is a joke.
27
@John the monstrous insecurity that this suppression demonstrates will only hurt in the long run. If you can’t freely discuss your problems, you’re severely limited in what you can do to address them. The people on the “grounds” always deal with the worst of it. The USA didn’t become what it is by brushing everything under the rug. If your country is willing to commit genocide, then good luck to the people on the “grounds” in avoiding the same treatment by the immoral state.
19
It's time now for HK to truly return to China and the 5 eyes should stop pretending that HK is still part UK and stop interfering in China domestic affairs.
4
@nitama It is false to claim that HK is being "returned" to China. The only connection between the fishing village that became HK, and the imperial government in 1897, was a line on paper. That HK and the present HK are world's apart. None of the succeeding political regimes -- KMT or PRC -- and none of the people of the PRC have even the slightest claim to HK as it has developed since 1897. The CCP's claim to HK on the basis of some ancient ethnic claim is no different than all the squabbles among Balkan countries in the 19th and 20th centuries: macho, aggressive, morally vacuous, and guaranteed to lead to bloodshed and sorrow.
15
As others noted:
The comment section has pro China sentiment from ostensibly American people.
The China Sinosphere is here in the USA.
I hope we see that.
28
I have noticed all during the pandemic, people would attack you for even having the audacity to point out that Covid-19 originated in China, an empirical fact. This is a first, as it has always been standard to refer to epedemics by place of origin. There are many China defenders and apologists on the American Left, something I had not realized until this last year.
2
And yet we pretend our worst concern is appearing xenophobic. Chinas probable lab leak and subsequent failure to alert the world of the unfolding pandemic has literally permanently changed our world and ruined our way of life. But by all means, let’s pretend our biggest problem is appearing xenophobic.
10
Yes and it was censored across social media, evidence that big tech and many media outlets receive significant money from the Chinese government. How else are we to explain the apologists for the Chinese regime and effort to defend them at every turn?
2
It seems like China is moving mountains to brainwash HK. The freedom loving people of HK will make this task impossible.
Contrast this to fake news believers in America. A few tweets and brainwashing is done.
2
Never more important for the US to continue to support the allies in Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Indonesia and prevent more blatant Chinese encroachment on the South China Sea... Australia and New Zealand too.
5
Those who seek to control the future will always attempt to rewrite the past.
We can see brainwashing right here in this article, which attempts to fabricate a mythical past of Hong Kong being a glittering utopia rather than the absolute racist dictatorship it was, where colonial governors ruled with an iron fist and the people had no representation whatsoever. Hong Kong has more popular representation under China than it ever did under the UK, period. It continues to do so today.
And if you think stopping separatism is "suppressing freedom", then put your money where your mouth is, march down to Washington DC, and tear down every single statue and painting you can find of Abraham Lincoln, that most famous crusher of separatists.
4
Very interesting comments from readers defending the PRC and making false equivalencies between the US and China. In many instances, it indicates the effectiveness of the PRC's indoctrination campaigns.
Corrupt politicians exist in every nation, but repressive regimes are most vulnerable to harboring and fostering this kind of behavior for the simple reason that there is no second or third party oversight.
Today brings us yet another example of the differences between democratic and authoritarian regimes: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2021/sonny-perdue-adm-land-deal/
We're just at the tip of the iceberg in uncovering the corruption of the former administration so that we can, hopefully, avoid the kind of flirtation with authoritarianism we've recently escaped. Here we have the good fortune to have objective watchdogs NYT, WaPo, public broadcasting, and countless regional and local news outlets.
14
And so where is the rest of the world? China was supposed to keep its grubby hands off Hong Kong for 50 years when the international agreements were signed in 1997. Another sign that international agreements and common morality are not worth anything when there is a big market at stake like China. China is levering its huge market desirability to oppress, lie and cheat. The world stands by and shrugs.
4
Because China owns much of the world, and has many apologists on the American Left.
1
Tactics not seen the depth of madness of the Soviet Union. China led by its wacko leader for life is on a collision course with the world. He has led China from peace and prosperity to a country where there are two kinds of people like North Korea those in prison and those not in prison. Pull the Olympics out of this Kafka nightmare state.
2
The word “brainwashing” says it all. China is making Hong Kong into another North Korea. No independent thought, ratting on your neighbor, blind and mindless loyalty to the state. It is so disgusting and sad to see, Hong Kong was once one of the most unique and interesting places in the world and the Chinese government is ruining it. And just like the government of North Korea, you have to ask yourself why is China trying to lockdown Hong Kong and take away its identity? Because it is afraid of freedom and democracy and the voices of the people. Standard operating procedure of an authoritarian regime. So, so sad and disgusting.
3
It is just a consequence of failed "project China". West created adversary by stripping out their countries from manufacturing (and creating "Democratic" cities in US as a consequence). China is a rich and very powerful country now. Not a single American city has comparable infrastructure in place (and never going to have). Hong Kong is a victim here but game was lost already.
3
This is the price we pay for ceding everything to the CCP via Kissinger and co.
5
Nixon, Kissinger, the US Chamber of Commerce. Also include a generation of American business education and a population looking for “Everyday Low Prices”.
Now we greedily consume foreign misinformation like it’s gospel.
The world is letting the American people destroy itself.
3
This is Cultural Revolution, circa 2020. This is such a disgrace, to have a whole country in China embracing the all-seeing-eyes of CCP, in return of material comfort and wealth. And now, we are seeing these 1.4B people forcing that down the throat of 7.5M people in Hong Kong, not to mention what they have already done to the 1M+ people in Xinjiang.
Those CCP supporters should be ashamed of themselves. I do strongly believe that they are on the wrong side of history, as MLK had reminded us all, of how long the arc of history is. I can only pray that Taiwan will not fall, and US will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Taiwan to make the final stand.
13
What this shows is that power ultimately wins in the end. If you don’t have power, you are at the mercy of those that do.
There will be no freedom for Hong Kong. It will be another one of those 100 year struggles. Another “long arc of justice” situations. A life of intangible victories but tangible suffering and acquiescence. Simply look at the struggle of Native Americans and African Americans. 180 years later and still fighting for basic humanity.
Look around the world and within countries. Those with power do what they want. Those without do what the are allowed to.
Mankind has managed itself this way for millenniums.
Based on the fact that a right wind autocracy is but one election away in the US and other nations, the future of the world might look a lot more like China and Russia.
4
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”
― George Orwell, 1984
The Chinese Communist Party is like a giant freedom-absorbing amoeba that sucks you inside and then the parameters of your life and thought are tightly observed and controlled by higher authorities, none of which you elected. As the Hong Kong teacher said of her new guidance, “It’s not teaching….it’s just like a kind of brainwashing.” China wants to spread this absorption through their Belt and Road Initiative, using financial leverage to force vulnerable countries into costly capitulation, even including loss of property and infrastructure. Freedom of thought and expression is the thing communists fear most because it is the most vital part of true freedom. Sadly, Hong Kong is well on its way to just being another communist controlled city.
4
I watched that day as the British flag was lowered and the flag of the PRC was raised. I knew then, as sure as the sun rises in the east, that self-determination for Hong Kong would never last 50 years.
As another poster so succinctly stated: capitalism can get along quite well without democracy.
12
Defenders of the CCP's program of extending its authoritarian rule to HK make three arguments. All could be proven, or disproven, by the same fair and equitable expedient: let the people of HK vote whether they want to become part of China, or remain as an independent state like Singapore. (And yes, it is correct to same "become part of China" -- HK in its present form owes nothing to either imperial China, the KMT, or the government or people of the PRC.
One argument is that opposition to CCP authoritarian rule has been manufactured by western (read, US) media. In a fair referendum, the CCP would have the best position of all to blare its propaganda. So CCP, make your case, let HK vote.
A second argument is really just a slogan: "colonialism". A smelly word, for sure. One definition is when an outside power appropriates all local power for itself, for its own purposes. Sure, that applied when HK was a colony of the UK. No longer. But now the CCP is colonizing HK.
A third argument is that freedom and western values have failed. There is some truth to the claim that freedom is over-emphasized in the US, but the US is not the democratic world. Liberty, equality, and community are still alive in many countries that the CCP regards as enemies (Canada, Australia, much of Europe, among others.)
So, CCP, put up or shut up: Let HK vote to join, or not to join, the PRC.
One is that opposition to the CCP has been artificially created by the West, especially the US
4
This is an incredible tragedy. Freedom is one of the most precious aspects of human life. Freedom of thought, believe, and expression. The Chinese government are experts at stamping out such thoughts by constant messaging, coercion and threats, which is effectively brainwashing. The human mind struggles with the dissonance which can cause tremendous damage of eventual submission, which is China's entire goal.
China has a chip on its shoulder regarding its perceived global status. Free countries don't respect China, and for good reason. Authoritarian states are by definition illegitimate, and most certainly in the eyes of god, who grants free will to all living beings. China will NEVER achieve the respect it craves so long as it remains an authoritarian state. I obviously blame the Chinese government, not the people. Hopefully in the long run there will be a revolution that frees the people of China and Hong Kong.
4
The world could have been spared this tragedy, one we all saw coming, if the UK (home of he ever-present and delightfully funny royal family) had not turned Hong Kong over to China. But like all great nations, mainly the US, they cut and ran, leaving devoted citizens to suffer in the wake of their shallow decisions.
1
@tourmakeady los lunas, nm Being progressive constitutional democracies, The US and UK are often caught in that catch-22: if they stay, they are accused of being colonial imperialists. If they leave, they are accused of abandoning the cause of democracy.
It's a tough one to win.
If Britain attempted to strong arm another country in the 80s and 90s over colonial holdings (they picked up from the opium wars no less) people would have been incensed.
It would have also exhausted their political and financial capital at a time they were recovering from some lackluster years of economic performance.
It was a choice between expensive diplomatic chaos or a peaceful transition with a (misguided) hope China was becoming more liberal as it opened to the world.
1
Beijing has turned Hong Kong into a police state, with ex-cops being promoted to two of Hong Kong’s most senior positions - new chief secretary and security secretary - in Carrie Lam’s administration.
Lawmakers believe people with police discipline will be more capable of enforcing the fledgling national security law in Hong Kong.
Former Security Secretary, John Lee, now the new chief secretary and his successor, Chris Tang, are among the 24 Hong Kong and mainland officials affected by US sanctions imposed earlier this year for their roles in implementing the national security law in the territory.
4
A big hug to all those 1990s experts that said that economic growth would bring democracy to China.
12
This is a tragedy and will only embolden China to go after other territory and peoples. And it happened because we buried what is right under our want and need for cheap goods made in China. It is an ominous warning for all our futures.
5
Inevitable tragedy.
All we can do is open a million visas for H-K residents seeking political freedom to move here.
We need the people. It will be good for the economy. And for our gastronomy too.
6
China's take over of Hong Kong looks very much what GOP is planning for the United States. Silence the press, install fear, censor curriculum, loyalty pledges, punish dissidents misinformation, etc. Does this sound familiar?
Just as Hong Kong people believed it could not happen until it was too late, too many in the United States have their heads in the sand.
14
Let us welcome these dissidents to America. They love democracy and are willing to stand up for it. It would provide us with some of the bravest and best minds from China.
11
We're being constantly smashed in the face with anti-China narratives from the western media, and it's important to think critically about why we are seeing these narratives as much as we think about whether those narratives are true. Why are we being told that China is dangerous over and over again day in and day out all of a sudden, while, for example, Israel's constant bombing of Syria gets nary a mention?
The quantity of the reporting tells you as much as the quality. Even if a foreign nation actually is doing something bad, is it really something we need to be told about over and over again while far worse acts are perpetrated by our own government and its allies with scarcely any mention? Who benefits from this arrangement? We need to think about these questions.
Negative mass media coverage of US-targeted governments always far exceeds negative coverage of US-aligned governments on the same issues, like nonstop coverage of protests in Hong Kong while ignoring protests in France, Gaza, Chile, Haiti, Ecuador etc which were occurring at the same time.
The repetition of these negative stories has more of an effect than the contents of the stories themselves because of something called the illusory truth effect, an odd glitch in human cognition which leads our minds to mistake info we've heard repeatedly for fact. Just by repeating something over and over again, our minds can be tricked into believing that it is a verified fact and not a completely unconfirmed assertion.
5
@Susan Goldberg Why not report extensively on this? By giving them our factories and tech we have given them the future. Belt and Road policy is creating a trade order with China in the center. Massive power there. The other stories are important, too, but this is serious.
4
Hong Kong and communist China are prime examples of why we fight so hard for our democratic freedoms and human rights.
The alternative is playing out in real time in front of our very eyes.
I thank God every day that I live in the U.S., even with all our problems and issues, at least we can expose them and deal with them, and vote autocrats out of power, aka trump.
8
First, where is the global protest voice against the CCP on this and the treatment of Muslim minorities? How many countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe envy the Chinese model?
How many conservative Americans would accept an evangelically based US alternative model if you replaced Hong Kong with the liberal American constituencies and the press?
Regardless, the USA and the GOP Chamber of Commerce built up China by happily exporting its manufacturing base over 40 years.
The future of humanity is very uncertain.
4
Rampant Capitalism, as per the "two systems" British colonial hangover, was the cause of instability, as reported by this publication."Tiny Apartments and Punishing Work Hours:
The Economic Roots of Hong Kong’s Protests" July 22, 2019 New York Times.
China is revoking that, extended the system that's ended poverty in much of the country.
From Bloomberg: "The sheer scale of China’s overall achievements when it comes to poverty alleviation is remarkable. More than 850 million people have been lifted out of extreme penury in under four decades. Almost 90% of the population was below the international poverty threshold in 1981, according to the World Bank; by the 2019, that was under 1%. "
1
As many people were tortured by the Communist Chinese government and disappeared , Starbucks only cared about their re opening date. They really have sided with the dictatorship over human rights.
They keep expanding in mainland China and are profiting off of the current state of affairs . Human rights are overlooked by Starbucks as long as they make money. They would of expanded In Germany during the 1930’s and 1940’s. Think hard about that .
3
I was fortunate to have visited HK in the early 60's---a lifetime ago. Wonderful memories of an energetic city. My wife and I had a booking to visit in 2020, but the pandemic ended that. I'm glad, now, it happened: I wouldn't want to visit today. I can only wish the people there the best as they cope with a total Chinese takeover. There are definitely dark days ahead.
25
What a heartbreaking story. I totally agree with President Biden's push to create a global coalition to stand firm against Chinese authoritarianism and its global reach. We need to work at uncoupling global manufacturing from Chinese factories. There are many countries with longstanding historical distrust of China factories could go to such as Vietnam, India, and South Korea. China and the UK signed an agreement promising 50 years of Hong Kong's freedom. China needs to be punished for reneging on that. It is on the US to lead a coalition of all the good democracies in the world and stand against authoritarianism everywhere (economically and diplomatically), whether in China, Hungary, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Brazil, etc.
36
Dynasties in China usually last 300 years. The CPC will celebrate it 100th birthday in July. There are still a couple hundred years to go, so people in Hong Kong had best learn to behave and follow the rules (or surely some patriot will report you to the authorities).
8
That's the very basic of any autocratic regime and also emerging fast in Turkey, Hungary, India and some more. It happens when a functional democracy is actively been converted to dictatorship.
17
Give Republicans another shot at it and it will happen here, too. It almost already did.
3
The Chinese Communist Paty was always going to remake Hong Kong into just another big city under total control of their totalitarian government. The whole world knew that when the British turned over Hong Kong to the CCP. Is anyone surprised about what is happening now?
Taiwan of course is another story. Taiwan is governed by the people of Taiwan, and despite historical ties to Imperial China, the CCP has no legitimate claim to sovereignty over the self-governed independent island nation of Taiwan. Invasion of Taiwan by Chinese forces would be no different than the CCP claiming sovereignty over Viet Nam or Russia claiming sovereignty over Alaska.
37
Agree. Is anyone really surprised?
2
@RLW China claimed Vietnam for about 1000 years of its history. So, as scary as it would be, China's habit of declaring any of its historical colonies as its "territory" is a frighteningly real possibility for Taiwan, and the rest of its former colonies.
1
Once again, many of the commentators on this article refuse, or fail to acknowledge the sequence of events that led up to China taking stronger actions. When the protests started two years ago, the protesters intentionally incited more violence and property destruction to elicit a stronger response from the Hong Kong authorities, and they got their wish. The protest leaders had previously traveled to Washington D.C. and met with anti-China politicians like Lindsey Graham and Tom Cotton, to fortify their deal with the devil. The American government supplied millions of dollars in support to the protest organizations, along with technical and logistical support. Why is it that American mainstream media, and the commentators in this article refuse to acknowledge the truth of America's desire to sow the seats of turmoil and chaos in Hong Kong to weaken China?
14
Sounds like a great place to live with neighbors informing on neighbors. Such a delightful atmosphere. I'm sure anyone with the means is crafting their exit strategy.
8
@Rodney Well, it's not working, i.e. CCP is winning handily.
@Rodney
Have you ever been to Hong Kong? It was beautiful once. A melting pot of east and west, a beacon of democracy in a sea of authoritarianism, and a financial and cultural hub that rivaled London and New York. People there could express themselves openly without fear of reprisal or imprisonment. That's called freedom. Today that has all changed. You cannot criticize the government, protest, or even share an opinion online without being censored or imprisoned. China has broken faith with the agreement they signed with the people of Hong Kong. Your views reflect those of the Chinese propaganda machine, nothing more.
7
Let's compare Hong Kong with Singapore:
Both are cities of ethnic Chinese immigrants.
Both are vital ports for world trades.
Both enjoy the highest degree of freedom in the whole world.
Both have built wealth in the last sixty years.
Both were essential to the British Empire.
Both have English-speaking populations.
Both adapt the complete set of British systems in education, legislation, government, and judiciary.
After the British left, Singapore received immediate American financial support and a generous offer from the United States Seventh Fleet for their military defense. All ensured that Singapore would survive as an independent sovereignty. In contrast, Hong Kong has none except some empty promises from US politicians.
15
@Eric H You're overlooking a key difference: one is directly connected to the Chinese mainland and the other is not.
It would be much more challenging for the Chinese to engage militarily to defend their control over Singapore than over Hong Kong. And conversely, it would much more difficult for the US for assert defensive posturing over HK.
The real wildcard is what will happen with Taiwan. It's close enough for physical control, but far enough for a Navy to get in between...
6
Singapore is not exactly a free society, though far from being a police state. Dissent and free expression are only marginally tolerated.
2
@Eric H Except Singapore was never part of China, and HK was "leased" after 2 Opium Wars, for 99 years.
This comment section is itself peppered with odd pro-Chinese propaganda, ostensibly from people in the US. The very presence of this propaganda supports the article’s description of China’s use of the media and education to achieve “soft power” brainwashing, sometimes in concert with growing “hard power” uses of the military, police, etc.
240
Thank you mark !! So weirdly true
14
@Mark
What's doubly funny is when those posters use odd phrasing that, while not entirely incorrect, is incongruous with normal American vernacular like "aggressor nation" instead of "aggressive nations."
It is like seeing a supposed American spell "humor" as "humour"
It is possible... but raises question marks.
28
@Mark If it's pro-Chinese it's Propaganda, if it's against China then it's the truth? I really wonder about this very simplistic world view, to say the least.
5
Hong Kong as a territory is gone, it is now just one more mega city in China. Taiwan will be next, no one will defend them either. Neville Chamberlain would be proud.
5
@Bruce1253
With the new rules China has imposed, those with the business spirit who have the means will depart. The dynamism China was trying to capture to inject into their economy, apparently came at too high of a price. They will get a pale imitation of the real thing.
Not too long ago, some people believed that embracing capitalist ideas would make China more "democratic." But capitalism can get along quite well without democracy...maybe even better than with it. In China--and in the US.
4
@James Firelocke: that would be Richard Nixon. Something else for which we have him to "thank".
Having spent multiple periods of time in Hong Kong before the recent horrific onset of crises (clashes, crackdowns, covid), this is heartbreaking to read. But none of it is surprising, in the least.
It is important to point out that Hong Kong has been a pawn for many regimes: the colonial British tried to impose their manners and style, and most recently, unfettered global capitalism made the divide between have and have-not visually unmistakable.
Inequality and classism have always defined the city, and it will be very interesting to see how China's rapidly evolving communi-capitalism is going to reshape the city yet again. But I do feel for its citizens, always caught between a global struggle.
13
This was inevitable. China was never going to allow Hong Kong western style freedoms. They let it be as they ramped up their own access to western markets, gaining insight from Hong Kong’s economic success. Now they have achieved their goal, they will force Hong Kong to comply with all mainland rules. So sad to see this happening.
30
Maybe someone with more knowledge on this can tell me - I understand China is violating the 1 country 2 systems rule, but that rule was only suppose to last 50 years from 1997. So wouldn't what's happening in HK now inevitably happen in 2047? There was always an end date to HK's current system. Yes it moved up by 25 year when it shouldn't have. But I'm curious What was HK people's original plan to maintain their autonomy or democracy in 2047? Is there none? Because if there is one, now seems to be the time to bring it out.
8
@JJ There was no plan after 2047 for the maintenance of the Hong Kong mini-constitution under the Sino-British Agreement. The British barely even had discussions with local residents during the '84 Thatcher-Deng Xiaoping diplomatic summit; no one in Hong Kong was asked whether they wanted to bring the issue of territorial transfer before the UN or international arbitration.
7
@JJ The hope/wish was for mainland China to develop both economically and politically enough so they will match up to HK's status by 2047.
1
@Paul That's my understanding as well. So are the protests now just about China short changing HK 25 years of honeymoon? Because if it's about existential identity and liberal democracy, unfortunately there was always an expiration date.
1
I have never had much respect for the CCP but what it is doing to Hong Kong now practically makes me sick. The tactics described in this report were commonplace in Eastern Germany before it fell. China must realize that love and respect cannot be coerced. It must learn that such tactics will only continue to breed a nation of intimidated people who do not speak up either out of fear or lack of critical or original thinking. I have often seen how my students from mainland China are silent whenever questions about China that are remotely politically sensitive are asked in class. Coincidentally the only one student from China who spoke up, I never saw again on campus since that class. Even if authoritarian governance works temporarily, it is a tragic waste of human spirit and originality. Yet the CCP is willing to deny its citizens of the basic, universal human rights of a democratic society declared by the United Nations decades ago. If the rest of us in democratic societies do not stand up for Hong Kong, we would be doing a great disservice to the progress of humanity.
134
They needed our help and none was given. They fought bravely and yet democracy died. Its a sad end, for Hong Kong and for the idea of liberal democracy, which is hanging by a sheer thread on this planet.
39
@Doug So tell us what should have been done. Was anyone willing to go to war over Hong Kong?
6
@Doug How were we going to help them? Sanction China for its internal domestic politics? Or should we go invade HK and grant its people democracy?
3
@Doug
First, stop buying their lies.
Second, stop buying their goods.
Third, stop buying excuses from American institutions and companies that have sold out.
3
About a third of human beings are authoritarian-minded.
If you let them get control of government, they will not hesitate in transforming societies into totalitarian states fundamentally opposed to freedom of expression, honesty, facts and free and fair elections.
It can happen here, too....in fact, it has been happening here.
It is the civic duty of all free-minded people to stand up against authoritarianism and reject it as the medieval, regressive catastrophe it truly is.
Resist !
122
@Socrates In U.S. society totalitarianism thrives in corporations. People are forced to express loyalty, sign papers restricting their ability to work in competing markets, and face blacklisting for dissent. The modus operandi is authoritarian and opposition is readily quashed. The scale of authoritarianism may be larger and more high profile in China, but in the U.S. corporate world employees tow the line or find themselves jobless. There seems to be little attention paid to this phenomenon in American journalism. The perception is that we have so much freedom. Do we really?
14
Corporations and employment law are apples and oranges compared to national governance.
5
China is doing this because it can do this as a sovereign nation. China usually plays the political long game, but in recent years it has been using strong-arm tactics in front of the entire world and it is getting away with it, diplomatically speaking. China's leaders will continue to push because it can.
17
I just hope we’re not reading a similar article about Taiwan down the road.
25
@Alberto Abrizzi
That article would be very different...it would be one about war. The Taiwanese people have a small, but functioning military (Hong Kong does not). The Taiwanese people have developed an independent identity with free elections and zero control exerted by the CCP (Hong Kong was handed over to Chinese control). The Taiwanese have the unequivocal best in semiconductor production and the US would never allow TSMC, which no other company is capable of catching up to, to be destroyed or taken over (Hong Kong never had industries as globally economically critical as semiconductors in Taiwan).
13
@Alberto Abrizzi Let us hope future Taiwan presidents and the US do not cross the red line then.
1
How many of those people are now wishing they had left "when they could"? Kind of how I feel these days living in the US and watching the republican traitors destroy OUR democracy. Should I stay or should I go?
31
There is Chris Patten's description of British Hong Kong and then there is "The World of Suzie Wong". We are ourselves in the midst of a conversation about two different histories of the US of A.
3
A "form of brainwashing"... No, it's the epitome of brainwashing. The tragedy is that in 20yrs there'll be a whole new generation of young people in HK who will know only what the CCP education system has 'taught' them.
70
@Vagabond Rambler CCP education is ridiculous and ineffective (thankfully). As someone who grew up under the "brainwashing", no, we don't stay ignorant and we still know what's right and wrong.
10
This is depressing. Its unfortunate that the Hong Kong protest movement was not more careful and cautious. As much as i admire their bravery the iron fist of Beijing was waiting. Difficult to say the future. The comparisons with USA and China people make here are ludicrous and naive. I have worked and lived in communist countries since 1991. Nearly 30 years. These are sinister repressive states that suppress all dissent and freedom of thought or learning critical thinking. Hong Kong people can by their unique culture preserve the freedom of their minds and thought. Be brave.
16
When China invaded Tibet, the Chinese claimed Tibet was always part of China.
China now claims part of Northern India was “always part of China.” And the ocean between Vietnam and the Philippines (conveniently designated the “South China Sea”). And Taiwan.
Saying something has “always been part of China” is standard Chinese propaganda whenever China decides to expand its territory or enforce draconian measures on people who dare oppose the party line.
Remember that as you read the comments in the NYT.
186
@Chickpea Taiwan's Constitution says both mainland China and Taiwan belong to one China - Republic of China. Indeed, Taiwan has been part of China.
6
@Will
Taiwan's constitution has already been amended to not make these claims by President Lee Teng-hui in the Additional Articles of the Constitution, which are similar to US constitutional amendments. Furthermore, no Taiwanese subscribes to the notion of the "Republic of China" - we have a distinct identity. Taiwan is Taiwan and China is China. This is why there has been broad consensus to push for a totally new constitution altogether and change the official name of the country to Taiwan.
41
@Will
And that constitution was written after Chiang Kai-shek invaded Taiwan in his retreat from the Communists in 1949, and imposed martial law in Taiwan.
7
The PRC is treating Hong Kong as another one of their “autonomous regions” which are not autonomous at all, like Tibet and Xinjiang.
I’m sure that the people of Taiwan are watching carefully.
12
I am really curious if these changes will impact companies who do so much business in Hong Kong as freely as if it were any Western city?
5
I know this will probably have no legal chance, but hasn't China violated the Terms of their take over of Hong Kong and could Great Britain or the UN do anything about this?
18
Yes but the UN et cetera has said almost nothing about that topic. After all, what could any other country or organization do about it? Nothing.
@Pat
No. The Article 23 of the Basic Law (BL 23) states:
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall enact laws on its own to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the Central People's Government, or theft of state secrets, to prohibit foreign political organisations or bodies from conducting political activities in the Region, and to prohibit political organisations or bodies of the Region from establishing ties with foreign political organisations or bodies.
2
China is destroying what was unique about Hong Kong. I feel sad for the people there who are a special lot. The brand of authoritarianism that China practices goes against human nature. No one wants to be coerced, to have truth smothered, to live in fear of one's neighbors or faceless security forces. Eventually it will come to a head, as it will on the mainland. Let freedom ring.
76
"China is destroying what was unique about Hong Kong." That is expressly the intent of China's govt here. That is not a secret to anyone.
10
@Pat
Maoism has a long history of suppression. Some people numb themselves after a while, while others stay content inside a cocoon where material needs are satisfied. Like cancer cells that change and mutate when antibody fighters are introduced, the CCP adapts to the new set of facts on the ground to maintain hegemony, dominance over the people who work "for the greater good," which they are made to believe is the state.
A caged bird not only forgets how to sing, but doesn't even venture outside the cage when the gate is open.
13
@Pat "Eventually it will come to a head, as it will on the mainland". It did, it was called the Cultural Revolution. You'd think that would be the end of CCP but somehow here we are again.
6
Most of the protesters were born after Hong Kong returned to China. They only knew prosperity as China and Hong Kong had vibrant economies.
5
Hong Kong has a bright future as the financial center and principle seaport of the mega-city of 150 million inhabitants which China is forging in the Pearl River estuary.
For many years Hong Kong served as a window into mainland China. Today, the mainland has many thriving financial centers such as Shanghai and Beijing
2
@AynRant Is it really worth it to destroy a thriving culture and community just to make more money?
12
I think we need to consider what we're buying into when we purchase "Made in China" .. Why would I want to support purchasing anything from a country that encourages children to turn in their parents.. Big Brother huh?
127
Because unfortunately, China manufactures the stuff we need and does it cheaply. We sold our economic soul, a long time ago.
8
@Jackie
Everything you buy in from China is made for American companies. American,European,and other multinationals care not a fig. They know most will always want to pay less wherever it is produced
7
@Dr John and even that seems temporary. There's many electric car companies in China selling to the domestic market. I'm sure one will eventually break through here. I see kickstarters all the time where the whole team is in China.
Saying "made in Japan" years ago used to have the same connotation of cheap stuff. They built up their knowledge and infrastructure and then wiped the floor with us in a lot of areas. The same is coming from China I think..
1
Taiwan is next and there isn’t a thing we can do to stop it except war which the American people will not tolerate. So red China will have all the military goodies which we give Taiwan and they are top- of- the - line goodies.
13
@Michael Sherman MD
"war which the American people will not tolerate"
Well, that is until Americans (and the rest of the world) realize that they cannot buy their latest iPhone, car, or any other gadget that connects to the Internet. You underestimate the importance of TSMC in Taiwan. With almost 60% global market share of semiconductors, and near-total dominance in advanced semiconductors, decades ahead of any other company, if TSMC and its Taiwanese engineers/scientists go down, the rest of the world goes down with it. The expertise and facilities that the Taiwanese semiconductor industry have become irreplaceable and not easily replicable, even if one throws billions dollars at it (as China has tried to do to no avail).
6
@Michael Sherman MD I think ALL democracies should start supporting Taiwan now. I lived in Taiwan for a year and taught young people there, the vast majority look at the mainland with horror and consider themselves to be Taiwanese, citizens of a free & independent country. China must understand that there would be a very heavy price to pay should they decide to take Taiwan by force.
6
China and Russia will always have the advantage. They know how to wait. They raise their people to fear them and then they use those soulless people in ways the US won't, or can't, yet.
2
The only surprising thing about this is that people are finding it surprising. A glance at the history of China in the 20th century and the millennia before would have told anyone what was going to happen. The big surprise is that it took so long.
35
@Daedalus ??? I actually am curious for you to elucidate this point a little more. China was walked all over in the 19th and 20th century by foreign nations. Except to the extent that this created a huge amount of resentment that is fueling the at-any-cost growth of the PRC, I am having trouble understanding your point. I wouldn't say Chinese imperialism throughout the millenia is any more egregious than that of European nations.
4
@James There is a narrative currently being pushed by China the only the West is imperialist.
My spouse is Vietnamese. I can confirm that China has been historically every bit as vicious in its imperialism as the West. So, while you're not wrong, per se, your attitude of "so what, the West did it too" neglects China's current propaganda war on the West.
The long view reflects irony and disappointment for the citizens of Hong Kong. When China was forced to give up Hong Kong to the UK at the point of gun muzzles to end the 2nd Opium War in 1860 they were humiliated by the Western powers and then decades later humiliated by Japanese colonization. The world's great hope that China would become a more open society have been eviscerated and now rapidly strengthening China gradually and forcefully returns Hong Kong to their side and nothing the West can do about it. Unless the West reinvigorates the narrative and successes that demonstrate open self governing societies are better than closed societies it will only be a matter of time until Taiwan joins the China communist fold.
3
My heart goes out to the people of Hong Kong. To be forced to change from a more democratic society to a dictatorship is painful. Hong Kong was a unique city but China is stripping away everything that made Hong Kong unique and a great place for people. Living in and visiting Hong Kong will be no different than any Chinese mainland city now.
27
Why is this a surprise? The territory was returned to China in 1997 and supposed to stay "independent" for another 50 years, before any big changes. That seemed a wish. I'm surprised China held out as long as it did before stepping up its authority.
9
@Steve Yet another failure from the British Empire. As the UK regressed to nothing more than a couple of minor islands, it left countries all over the world in untenable survival conditions. Now, the seventy nine vessel royal navy cannot even protect the UK from Russian naval vessels or from immigrants vessels.
3
I used to travel to HK on business in the late 1970s and 80s. HK was the international hub of Asia, a magnificent city, teeming with energy, sophistication and culture. It was the NYC of Asia. To see the slow demise after 1997 and to know that so many multinational companies have pulled out is really quite sad. I am fortunate to have experienced that great city at its best.
138
@SuzanneC
I travelled there for business in the 80's and 90's. What a wonderful world city, and yes, the New York of Asia. Sad.
18
@SuzanneC I am jealous =( I have never been but Wong Kar-wai is one of my favorite directors and storytellers. I fear I will never experience that vibrant city that you and him describe.
14
I'm no politicians, nor public figures. So what I say does not make much of differences. But I have been trying to say to my friends in China and HK whenever I have the opportunity that, the issue is not really in the 'two systems' part, but rather the 'one China' part of the 1C2S arrangement.
It is perhaps too late now, but I used to say HKers need to think hard what 1C means and how it can be implemented in practice. The central government had long wanted to enact the national security law as a way to safe guard 1C. The HKers didn't want it, but they didn't offer an alternative. The reality is, if there were no national security laws to guarantee 1C, then it was impossible to have universal suffrage. I'm not saying national security is sufficient, but it definitely is a prerequisite before anything else, from the central government's perspective.
I believe if everyone had thought hard enough, they could have found an alternative (not saying I'm too bothered by the current situation). My proposal was: open the HK/mainland border to allow free settlement, which guarantees in practice HK as part of China forever. In exchange, this would make it unnecessary to have a national security law, and possible to have universal suffrage. Of course, this would not be welcome by HKers (from either side), but the current situation is the inevitable alternative.
8
When they said, "one country, two systems," western leaders assured their public that "communism and democracy" would coexist in Hong Kong. These leaders and China knew that it actually meant, "communism and capitalism." Democracy in Hong Kong was doomed from the start. Those brave protesters were sold out in 1997.
174
@Boreal Thank god the US style oppositional politics at the expense of common prosperity is not allowed. Why have constant protests when all could work together to build a better life for all.
1
@John
Re:"Why have constant protests when all could work together to build a better life for all."
Not by bread alone, do we live our best lives. Happiest times remembered are not necessarily the most prosperous.
Give me your loyalty, your thoughts and independence and I will give you bread and circus, in exchange...a great bargain according to the sentiment expressed.
Seems to me that a life without meaning and conviction except to satisfy greater and greater material needs would cause many to fall into those "lives of quiet desperation" (T.S.Eliot), where we would lose ourselves incrementally, one teaspoonful after the other. That kind of world ends in a whimper, we are told, instead of the bang we expect upon losing democracy and self volition.
The Chinese understand that well, capturing Hong Kong little by little, without need of bullets.
11
@John: You can’t possibly think that the CCP has any interest in a better life for Uyghurs and Tibetans, right?
And yes, I’m well aware that America has its own shameful history of oppression. The difference is that I can be publicly critical of that history without being sent to a re-education camp.
36
Hong Kong used to be one of my favorite destinations in Asia. Such a vital and dynamic city. Sad to say I'll never go back now.
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"While she had always tried to offer multiple perspectives on any topic, she said, she worries that a critical view could be quoted out of context by a student or parent."
Frightening, isn't it? It seems the same thing is starting to happen here in the U.S., as well. We need to push back hard against the far right-wing in this country. Hong Kong offers an extreme example of what could happen to freedom, if we are not vigilant.
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Mmmm, funny how our perspectives view things 180 degrees different? I saw the far left in this, tearing down statues and removing historical figures, wearing masks after the risks are minimal…let’s hope, the middle rises with a sane perspective on our nation, one of freedom, decency, tolerance, personal responsibility and the accountability towards the value system that has allowed our freedoms. Our nation is not indestructible, my fear is that it will come from within.
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@Jack Campbell All good points. Let's hope reason and a "sane perspective" win out in this country always. We ALL must be vigilant!
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@Jerry's Dad
Re: "We need to push back hard against the far right-wing in this country," in response to the teacher who used to offer multiple perspectives but worried that a critical view could be quoted out of context.
We must also push back hard against the far left-wing in this country, when words even uttered in Twittersphere may be taken out of context and used against whoever fails to subscribe to Groupthink.
When Winston Marshall from UK band merely commended the courage of Andy Ngo for his book called "Unmasked," addressing the extreme antics and intolerance displayed in Antifa, where the space created in Portland developed into uncontrolled violence, he was battered by criticism, equating him with being right-wing. He resigned rather than bring his band down, because his freedom to think and express himself was more important than fame and money.
As social psychologist Banister instructs, extreme rightists mirror extreme leftists--they are an authoritarian, intolerant bunch who cannot tolerate disagreement. On a larger scale we can see similarities in totalitarian governments that lean right and those that lean left.
Early on, some may recall, Antifa was not even recognized as a cohesive group by some of our current leaders. We must all stand vigilant against those who would shut down dissent and critical thinking. First, we must see it.
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I'm glad this article concludes with several examples of Hong Kong people continuing to resist. Indeed, under the very oppressive circumstances illustrated well in this article, many continue to do so. The Communist Party has the power to totally reshape Hong Kong politics and society, as it is doing, but it won't stop at that: it is trying to change Hong Kong people's minds. So far, it is failing. Out of the public eye, Hong Kong people are still well organized. They understand well what is happening to their home and their opinions on right and wrong and on basic human rights, democracy and freedom haven't changed at all in the last two years since the immense protests of 2019. What we're seeing is the dismantling of liberal society against the backdrop of a global struggle between democracy and authoritarianism. This is one of the defining issues of the times and Hong Kong is on the front line. To stand up for Hong Kong is to stand for the values that many countries and billions of people the world over cherish. As the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party approaches, on July 1, we must ensure that it fails in Hong Kong and fails to export its authoritarian model to the rest of the world.
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@Brian Kern
It is already exporting its hold on the world by becoming a major moneylender to many nations including our own, and attempting to corner the market on life saving goods, like the pharmaceutical market in South America. No doubt it will go into Afghanistan rich in mineral resources as we and our allies pull out, to extract and use for future technological equipment.
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@Brian Kern Thank you for your insight and explanations. I know lots of people in HK and lived there many years. I read online articles and watch youtube videos from the locals.... What you say is pretty accurate.
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"At the heart of Beijing’s campaign is a drive to raise future generations that will never think to separate the party’s interests from their own."
Demographics makes Beijing's task easier. In 2020, Hong Kong's total fertility rate (TFR) was ~0.87, the lowest ever, and well below replacement (2.1). Even before the pandemic, HK's TFR was among the lowest in the world - 1.05 in 2019, compared with 5.0 in 1960 (source: World Bank). In fact, HK's TFR has been below 1.5 since at least 1985.
Consequently, the resident population of HK will start declining earlier than many expect, and potentially more rapidly too, without domestic or international migration.
But Beijing controls who, and how many, are approved for HK resident status and the issuance of HK permanent identity cards. As an aside, while it is true that PRC nationals born in HK "automatically" qualify for HK permanent residency, it is quite easy for Beijing to crack down on mainlanders traveling to HK specifically to give birth, to the extent this becomes an issue.
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@Bramha
Define HongKonger first: As far as I know, Hong Kong is a city of immigration. About 40k Chinese settled in Hong Kong every year for the last eighty years, plus more undocumented Chinese migrants crossed the border, endured incredible hardships trying to get their legal residencies. Immigrants make up about 40% of the total population in Hong Kong. More than 20% of the Hong Kong population lives in the ghettos and slums. These poor neighborhoods meet discrimination in the city but ironically produced the majority of the young rebellion protesters.
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No surprise here. Mao asserted that real power comes out of the barrel of a gun. Neighbors spying on neighbors is textbook totalitarian rule. It appears that freedom and human rights are taking a back seat while power crushes dissent.
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@Pepperman
Neighbors spying on neighbors: read our Patriot Act.
In some ways, it can be marked as the beginning of totalitarianism in this country since 9-11 created the atmosphere for authoritarianism to gain a foothold in this country, based on fear of a similar attack in the future.
"If you see something, say something" is a good rule to follow...... to a point. Taken to extremes, it leads neighbors to become the equivalent of those who snitched to Stasi about every move of those living next door which was at variance with the East German state's objectives.
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@She Big Tech is way ahead of our government in controlling our voices and freedoms. Times have changed.
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For China, a multi-thousand year old culture, this seemingly slow, inexorable transformation is in reality a blitzkrieg, moving so much faster than historically they have moved.
Oh sure, Mao and his Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution sought to turn up the dial on pushing things though, but those had some really bad results. I know some people who were "exited" from China post WWII, and others who suffered from the abovementioned cultural purges.
I think Xi has learned from that, yet wants to up the pace. So far, you have to admit that while he's on the bleeding edge of being able to sustain the conversion of Hong Kong, it's probably working.
Next: Taiwan.
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@CATango "Next: Taiwan." If Taiwan is smart, they will learn the lesson of the Hong Kong democracy movement. They may be able to survive if they maintain the current ambiguous status and don't push on the boundaries.
The HK democracy movement's demand to be exempt from extradition was simply a bridge too far. We don't allow that in the US.
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